One third of UK employees say that they’ve witnessed ageism in the workplace. It takes many forms. Many of use would like to think that we’re sensitive to others and wouldn’t wish to cause offence. Some others don’t seem to have that filter! Take language used. Least likely to cause offence are the terms “older” and “experienced”. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that terms like “sensei” “cougar” “grandma or grandpa” “wet behind the ears” “young whippersnapper” and “fogey” are more likely to cause offence. In 2012 a young worker won an age discrimination claim after showing that her line manager had referred to her as a “kid”, and even described her as a “stroppy teenager”. 88 year old employee Recently an 88 year old medical secretary became the oldest person in the UK to win a claim for ageism in the workplace Because the case has only just been decided we still don’t know how much the case will settle for – we won’t know that until October 2019. You can no longer require people to retire at 65. It’s increasingly likely that employers will have a workforce with older workers who choose to continue to […]

Managing female employees in male dominated workplaces, on the face of it, should be no different than managing female employees in any work environment. Recent research published by Harvard Business School shows us that this isn’t the case. The research concluded that women engineers have a visibility problem. Like women in other ultra-masculine sectors, they are often excessively visible as women, but overlooked when it comes to their technical expertise. This paradox gets in the way of forming relationships at work and hurts their advancement. The interviewees agreed that the female body stands out in their workplaces in a sexualised way. One interviewee said that no matter what the work was that she was doing, some colleagues seemed to see her primarily as a potential date. Another said that rather than the quality of her work being the focus of attention, the way in which she looked in her overalls was a more common topic of conversation. The interviewees spoke at length about how their competence was obscured by their gender. They said that they felt sexually objectified, and they had to work harder than men to prove their technical competence. If employers want to become more supportive about managing […]

It’s a goal that many organisations have, how to make new employees more productive more quickly. You’ve spent a lot of time, money and energy on recruiting them in the first place. It’s not unreasonable that you now want a quick return on your investment is it? In theory, no, but in practice, probably, yes. There are a number of answers to how to make new employees more productive more quickly. The simple and most straightforward is to design a really thorough induction programme. Just because the new recruit has the skills you were looking for, doesn’t mean they will telepathically know what you want from them as an employee. They need to know “how things work round here”. You have to ensure that they get that information early on, and are monitored to assure them (and you) that they are picking it up correctly. The new recruit, hopefully, will be enthusiastic, keen to learn and keen to make an impression. Your induction programme needs to capitalise on this. How enthusiastic would you be if you spent your first week just following people around, listening to what goes on, reading brochures and watching company videos? Not as enthusiastic at the end […]

When employers come across job applicants with criminal records they can panic. Do they need to? A 2016 YouGov survey commissioned by DWP found that that 50% of employers wouldn’t employ an offender or ex-offender. The survey also showed that, whilst only 32% had concerns about ex-offenders’ skills and capability, 40% were worried about the public image of their business and 45% were concerned ex-offenders would be unreliable. Hopefully some of the stats in this blog might help you change your mind as an employer? Urban myths surrounding job applicants with criminal records are worth reviewing. All ex-offenders have been to prison Not true. Fines are the most common sentence (68%) given by all courts. Only a small number of people go to prison. Only 7.9% of offenders are given immediate custodial sentences. All ex-offenders are men This is another one that’s not true. 7 out of 10 men who have proceedings against them in court have some kind of action taken against them. Not all are custodial sentences. 9 out of 10 offenders given custodial sentences are men. Ex-offenders are violent Violence against the person is one of the most common crimes in the UK. BUT the severity ranges dramatically. These crimes often occur when […]

Employees are most worried about their financial position. The Money Advice Service identified that 28.7 million working adults in the UK weren’t satisfied with their finances. The Financial Conduct Authority reported that 25.6 million people were financially vulnerable. There’s a shocking stat out there. Faced with an unexpected £300 bill, 11.8 million adults will borrow money or can’t pay. Only 50% of employees, thinks that their employer cares about their financial well-being. That’s less than those who think that their employer cares about their mental (62%) and physical health (60%). When asked what their top three worries are, employees said Financial worries (30%) Health (25%) Retirement provision (24%) Employees are most worried about their financial position What do employers think their employees are most worried about? When asked what they thought their employees worried about the most, employers gave very different answers. Their top two worries were work life balance (44%) and workload (33%). There’s clearly a difference between what actually worries employees and what employers think their employees worry about. Work life balance worries only 22% or employees surveyed. Employees are most worried about their financial position. The effects of financial worries show themselves in many ways. Physical factors such as loss of sleep and […]

If you’re looking for 5 simple steps to improve employee engagement you’ve come to the right place. Some of the things might not be considered trendy nowadays, but they have always worked as engagement strategies. They rely on some simple foundations, communicate well, praise sincerely and do what you say you’ll do! Get out from behind your desk Talk to your employees, listen to them, their problems and suggestions. Be ready to roll up your sleeves to help out when things are pressured, do whatever needs to be done. Show some sincerity Look for the good in people. When you see something you like, tell that person right away. Tell your people what you appreciate, and why. It’ll bring the best out in them. Role model Make it a priority to demonstrate your company’s values. If you really want to affect your culture, work hard to show your remployees your values and priorities. It makes natural that they will follow your lead. Get over yourself. This doesn’t mean that you lack self-confidence or that you don’t stand up for yourself. It means that you recognise that you don’t know everything and that you’re ready to learn from others. Demonstrate a […]

When is a warning not a warning? The simple answer is when it’s not carried out correctly. We get a surprising number of calls from employers who have reached the end of their tether. They’ve given an employee lots of verbal and written warnings with no improvement. Now they feel the need to remove the employee. It comes as a shock to them when we say, “that’s risky”. Let me give you an example of what I mean A business provides a facilities service to clients. They send teams of employees into a client premises, often out of hours. The intention is that the client will come into work the morning after and be delighted by the results. Over a 10 year period this had not always been the case when the business sent in one particular employee. His work was not always of a high standard. Over the ten year period the employer had given the employee a number of verbal and written warnings relating to his poor standard of work. One morning the Facilities business owner received an irate phone call from a client about the less than sparkling state of his premises after having paid for an overnight service. The […]

The 6 essential aspects of workplace culture are : Purpose Connecting employees to your organisation Opportunity Providing employees with the opportunity to learn Success Giving employees the opportunity to do meaningful work and be in winning teams Appreciation Acknowledging and recognising employees contributions Wellbeing Paying attention to employees’ health and physical and social wellbeing Leadership Connecting employees to purpose and empowering them to do great work Research by OC Tanner* shows us organisations that marginally improve in each of the 6 essential aspects of workplace culture see dramatic improvements. Those improvements show in recruitment, retention, satisfaction and other business metrics. Not convinced? 1 in 5 employees think that there is no reason for their organisation to even exist 38% of employees think that their organisation negatively affects the lives of others More than 1 in 3 employees are often bored with their work responsibilities Nearly half of employees feel that their skills are under utilised in their current role 1 in 5 employees say they do not do their best work because no one else does Almost 50% of employees feel that their employer takes them for granted 49% of employees say that the recognition they receive is not authentic or […]

When the unemployment rate is low, how to create an effective employee retention plan becomes an urgent piece of work. Replacing employees is expensive. It can cost up to a third of the worker’s salary to find a replacement. The latest ONS statistics show that the unemployment rate in the UK continues to fall (the latest rate for 2018 is 4.2%). Organisations that aren’t serious about retention are risking real money. With around 727,000 jobs available, workers have plenty of opportunities to jump ship if they want to. The 2017 Investors In People Employee Sentiment Report shows that 25% of employees are actively seeking new employment. Whatever sector you’re in, establishing how to create an effective employee retention plan is critical. It isn’t a science, and it isn’t easy. Employee retention in a competitive market In today’s competitive labour market, keeping workers on board involves more than just making them happy on the job. Employers have to engage employees enough to avoid the temptations being dangled in front of them by other companies. A higher salary on its own can be a powerful incentive to leave; but the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t […]

Managing employees with piercings can create uncertainty about what you are, or are not, allowed to do as an employer. Body piercing (other than ear lobes) is more prevalent in women than men and more common in younger age groups. 46% of women aged 16-24 have had a piercing (other than in their ear lobe). This suggests that most employers will have have to think about a dress code policy for piercings. Whilst it’s acceptable in law for employers with employees with piercings to ban piercings, there are some things to think about. Some employers may feel that visible, non-earlobe piercings are at odds with the image that they’re trying to project. Because if this they may ask employees with piercings to remove them whilst at work. It’s worth stopping and considering how many of your employees are actually having client contact if this is one of your reasons for objecting to piercings. In today’s informal society, there’s actually a great deal of evidence to show that the most successful dress code is, by and large, to encourage your customer-facing employees to dress more or less like your customers. This puts your customers as well as your employees at ease, and will […]